Category Archives: Reviews

United cruise comfortably past Shrewsbury Town with a 3-0 victory to set up a quarter final tie, at home, against West Ham United.

This was the first time in the clubs history that United have played Shrewsbury Town and the home team, including their fans, were excited for the occasion. They even fancied their chances of causing an upset based on United’s recent form and who can blame them? But it wasn’t to be thanks to goals from Chris Smalling (right footed volley), Juan Mata (cleverley worked free kick where three United players looked to have been offside) and Jesse Lingard (getting on the end of an Ander Herrera cross).

The win itself is of course something to be happy about as it sends United into the quarter final of the FA Cup, but it’s nothing to write home about considering the opposition. Typically, of a United under van Gaal, they controlled the game from start to finish having an 80% share of the possession in the first half and 75% possession overall. Also, United were reduced to long shots for most of the first half as they failed to find a way to break down a resilient Shrewsbury defence. Something else we have become accustomed to during the van Gaal reign. United did, however, finally make a break through late in the first half when Chris Smalling, staying up front when a cleared corner was played back toward the box, hit a right footed volley past the Shrewsbury keeper. Shortly afterwards, on the stroke of half time, Juan Mata doubled United’s lead from a free Kick that was awarded after Anthony Martial was brought down on the edge of the box when he was through on goal.

Mata scores United’s second from a Free Kick (Picture: mirror.co.uk)

For the second half Shrewsbury altered their approach and played further up the pitch. This allowed United to play their game, bringing the attacking players into the fold with some much quicker football. And it didn’t take long for United to get their third goal to seal the win. The goal came from a counter attack that started with Romero. The United keeper released the ball quickly, picking out Herrera who touched the ball on to Mata on the left. At the edge of the box, Mata played the ball back into Herrera who hit a cross to the back post finding Lingard who hit it first time into the back of the net. United then took their foot off the pedal and played possession football very effectively to see the game out.

Despite the 3-0 scoreline it was a very average team performance. I’m finding it difficult to pick out any player who had a particularly impressive game. In my match review for the Midtjylland game on Thursday, I was very critical of Memphis. Today, however, despite a shaky start, he grew into the game and gained confidence; particularly in the second half. He showed glimpses of what he did at PSV by running at defenders, cutting in and getting shots at goal. An extra yard of pace and he will become dangerous again. He also linked up with players very well during attacking moves with some neat one-touch passing. What’s important now is that he carries that into the next game. He has a great opportunity, with Rooney out, to prove himself and build on today’s performance.

Daley Blind in action for United at Shrewsbury (Picture: mirror.co.uk)

Another player I enjoyed watching was Daley Blind. He makes things happen. Plenty of times tonight he was able to pick out a pass from deep, finding the forward players and at the same time taking several Shrewsbury players out of the game.

Andreas Pereira also made a positive impact coming on as a substitute just after the hour mark. His positioning was on point, making sure he found space off the ball to receive a pass. When he was in possession he moved the ball quickly. He proves a nightmare for defenders with his pass-and-move football which is something United need more of.

So, United did what was expected of them and have progressed to the quarter final of the FA Cup. But the pressure is still on Louis van Gaal with the focus now on the second leg of the Europa League tie at home to Midtylland. The danish team bring to Old Trafford a 2-1 advantage, but United could progress with 1-0 victory having scored an away goal in the first leg. As with tonight’s game, United will be fully expected to win this 2nd leg with the real test being the game against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.

What did you make of tonight’s game? Did any players stand out to you? Was the performance good enough? Let me know in the comments below!

Paul’s player ratings – Shrewsbury V United

Romero (6) Kept a clean sheet but was rarely called upon.
Borthwick-Jackson (6) Played the long ball that led to Chris Smalling’s goal but was generally quiet.
Smalling (7) Scored the opening goal and won the majority of aerial battles.
Blind (7) Showed great vision picking out long ground passes into the forward players.
Varela (6) Fairly quiet for most of the game.
Herrera (7) Helped to control the united midfield and provided an assist for Lingard’s goal.
Schneiderlin (6) Helped protect the defense on the rare occasion he needed to.
Lingard (6) Was quiet for most of the game despite scoring.
Mata (7) Scored the free kick and played his part in the build up to Lingard’s goal.
Memphis (6) Poor start to game but grew in confidence in the 2nd half linking up well with other players.
Martial (6) Was isolated as a lone striker with several defenders around him.

Riley (6) Made his debut as a sub an wasn’t afraid to run at defenders.
Keane (6) Came on for Martial, hit the post, then left the field after just 4 minutes after picking up a groin injury.
Pereira (7) Proved a nuisance for the Shrewsbury defenders with his quick movement.

You can also watch The United Stand’s live match reaction with Mark Goldbridge by clicking here or watching below:

When the draw was made for the first knock out stage of the Europa League, the question on everyone’s mind was, “Who on earth are Midtjylland?”

Well, I’m sure you would have done your research but, for the sake of this blog post, let me give you a very brief reminder.

Midtylland are a Danish club who play in the Danish Superliga and have a stadium capacity of just 12,000. They have played in European cups on several occassions but rarely passed the qualifying or play-off rounds. This season however, they made it to the group stages and despite losing 9-1 over two games against Napoli, they still progressed to the knock out stages.

With that said, you can forgive the majority of people, myself included, for thinking that even with the lengthy injury list, we should still be beating this team comfortably. Oh how wrong I was. How very wrong.

It has been said many times that this is a tournament that United never wanted to be a part of and it really was evident when looking at the players on the pitch tonight. Throughout the whole game none of the players looked like they were interested. There was no fight, no desire, no will to just go and grab the game by the scruff of the neck and sweep Midtjylland aside.

Far too many times there were gaping holes in the middle where you would expect to see Mata or Herrera. Or even Carrick. Anyone with an ounce of awareness! But nothing. No movement, no forward thinking; just stale, uninspired, dribble. And I feel like a scratched record having said this many times already this season.

There were periods in the game where Midtjylland were dominating. Not many, but there were. There was even a period where they were just toying with us. It was embarrassing to watch. Apart from Memphis’ goal – which he was lucky to score – We struggled to create any real chances. Lingard came close near the hour mark when he hit a volley against the cross bar but that was it. Midtjylland on the other hand, forced a few fantastic saves out of Romero. We could have lost that game 3 or 4-1.

Memphis and co celebrate his equaliser (Picture: mirror.co.uk)

With Rooney being out injured and Martial moving into the number 9 role, it was a big chance for Memphis to shine and gain some much needed confidence. I was full of hope for him. He has really struggled this season and I was praying that tonight would be his night. But again he was well below par. His decision making was poor; running into defenders, taking too many touches. I’m not going to write him off just yet though. I think that would be unfair. I believe under a new manager next season (assuming LVG won’t be here) he will be given a new lease of life. You never know, maybe we’ll start seeing the Memphis of PSV.

I have singled out Memphis because he is the player I was most excited about when the season started and he is the player who, for me, has the most to prove with his price tag and reputation for scoring goals and giving defenders a nightmare.

The rest of the team cannot get off lightly. Tonight they were all equally as poor. They all worked together to lose this game and they should all take a good long look at themselves. They may not agree with the manager’s philosophy but to show no desire to win is unforgivable. Especially when fans have traveled hundreds of miles and spent hundreds of pounds on tickets, travel and most likely accommodation.

Now, although I openly criticise the players – and I must say this criticism applies not just to tonight’s game but for many, many others – the manager, Louis van Gaal does not help the situation. His “philosophy” on and off the pitch is completely lost on the players. We can all see it and I’m sure he can too. He should now do the decent thing and walk away. Because it sure as hell does not look as though the board are sacking him anytime soon.

An emotionless van Gaal looks detached from the game (Picture: mirror.co.uk)

Next up for United is Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup and I will not be making the same mistake in thinking we should win comfortably. In fact, in thinking that we will win at all. Never before has my confidence in United been so low and it’s horrible.

I’ll be interested to hear how you guys are feeling right now. Are you just as fed up, frustrated and as disillusioned as I am? Or have you learned to accept such mediocrity and are now just waiting for it to be over so we can start afresh with a new manager and new philosophy? Please comment below.

Also, if you want to hear what Mark Goldbridge thought of the game, watch his match reaction right here, or by watching below.

Sunderland pile more misery on United with a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light.

United have had many games this season where they have under-performed and this was one of those games.

No one player was particularly poor. It was a team effort to lose that game. There was no focus, no concentration and no will to win.

The football was scrappy for the majority and the players didn’t look like they wanted it. It was disgusting to watch. Louis van Gaal will be pleased that this game was not being played at Old Trafford as you can bet your bottom dollar that the fans would have been booing him down the tunnel.

During the course of the game, United had approximately 8 attempts at goal in total. Comparing that to Sunderland, who had approximately 15, jut shows which team wanted the victory more.

Sunderland opened the scoring in the 3rd minute with a Khazri free kick bouncing through the United defence and trickling over the line in bottom far corner. David de Gea saw it late and couldn’t get to it. But you can’t blame him for the goal or even say he should of done better. When you have 20 bodies in front of you, you expect one of your team mates to get something on it.

Man United managed to get an equaliser late in the first half when Mata’s rebounded shot fell to Martial who delicately chipped the ball over the floored Sunderland keeper from a tight angle. Before the goal and the saved shot that came before it, United had only one shot at goal.

The second half saw Sunderland dominate the game, creating lots of chances and having several shots at goal. During this period United grew frustrated and careless, picking up a handful of bookings.

Sunderland took advantage of United’s lack of intent and went on to score the winner in the 82nd minute with a goal from new boy Kone, who got his head on the end of a Sunderland corner.

The loss means that United remain in 5th but could drop to 6th today if West Ham win away at Norwich. The gap could also increase on the top four with all of them in action on Sunday.

United remain in 5th but could drop to 6th if West Ham win at Norwich

There isn’t really anything more to say that hasn’t been said already in terms of United’s performances and the current situation we find ourselves in. We just have to ride it out for the rest of the season and hope some personnel changes are made during the summer. I think you all know who I am referring to.

What did you make of the game? Are you fed up to the point where you no longer have any expectations and you are just going through the motions as a fan? Let us know in the comments below.

You can watch the United Stand match reaction by clicking here or watching below:

United score two rare first half goals in their 3-0 victory over Stoke City.

As United fans we have been treated to some fantastic football over the last few days with a 3-1 victory at Derby and tonight, a 3-0 victory against Stoke City. After the let down that was the January transfer window, United fans deserved something to be positive about and the game tonight provided just that.

United started the game at a quick tempo and created several chances in the opening minutes of the game. Rooney came close in just the 6th minute, forcing a diving save from Jack Butland but, it was academy graduate, Jesse Lingard, who opened the scoring in the 14th minute. The assist came from another academy graduate in Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. The 19-year old hit a drive low cross across the face of goal finding Lingard who finished with a low diving header to put United ahead.

Summer signing Anthony Martial also caused problems for Stoke with his predator-like runs, weaving gracefully past defenders leaving them dazed and confused. He came close to doubling United’s lead just a couple of minutes after Lingard’s opener after skipping past two Stoke defenders and powering a shot towards goal. It missed, but not by much.

Martial continued to give Stoke a hard time and in the 23rd minute doubled United’s lead with a spectacular goal. Rooney, on the right hand side of the pitch, spotted Martial unmarked out on the left just outside the box, so he played a square ball across to him. Martial controlled the ball, looked up, shaped himself and struck the ball with power curling over and around Jack Butland into the far corner of the net.

Stoke City did, however, have a brief spell late in the first half where they had a few attempts at goal but United’s defence stood firm preventing Stoke from causing David de Gea any real problems.

The second half saw United come out looking for more as they continued to push forward searching for the third goal that would surely kill the game off and it only took 4 minutes. Only the goal was disallowed as Rooney was penalised for a push on Glen Johnson before rocketing the ball between Butland at his near post.

But that didn’t deter United. Three minutes later, Daley Blind played a ball into Mata, who turned and spotted Martial to his left. Mata played the ball out to Martial who struck a left foot cross across the face of goal finding Wayne Rooney who simply tapped the ball into the net. 3-0. Game over.

With United 3-0 up and the game won, Louis van Gaal gave some game time to Memphis, Herrera and Pereira. Memphis looked sharp, hungry and full of fight so hopefully we will see him regain some form in the not too distant future.

After the win, United remain in 5th, still 5 points behind 4th. Spurs’ win carries them up to 3rd as Arsenal slip to 4th after they only manage a draw against Southampton.

United remain in 5th but keep the pressure on the top four

So United have had a good few days in terms of both performance and results. Are we about to see a turn in fortunes? Will United go on a run and power back in to the top four? Have your say below in the comments box. We would love to hear what people think.

Also, don’t miss The United Stand’s live match reaction with Mark Goldbridge. Watch by clicking here or watching below:

United see off Derby County in the FA Cup 4th round with a 3-1 victory.

In a much improved performance, United played some decent football, attacked and scored three goals, including a first half goal!

Captain Wayne Rooney opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a curled shot from outside the box. It came from a good move that came from Daley Blind playing a long ground pass into Martial, who knocked the ball into Rooney. Rooney looked up and from outside the box curled a shot across and around the keeper leaving him with no chance. It was a great finish that he will be happy with.

20 minutes later Derby found an equaliser with a goal from Thorne. Thorne exposed a gap left by Smalling and he controlled a ball over the top perfectly setting himself to tap it past David de Gea.

United regained the lead in the second half thanks to a goal from Daley Blind. Lingard had possession out on the right and played in a pacey cross across the ground and Blind was quickest to it arrowing the ball into the bottom right.

By this point Derby were looking tired and United took advantage of this when Martial made easy work of beating the Derby right back and pulling the ball back into the path of Mata who slotted the ball across the keeper and into the back of the net sealing the win for United.

Derby can take some pride from their performance as they did have a go at United for the majority of the game and created a few chances of their own.

The win sends United into the 5th round of the FA Cup. A tournament they haven’t won in 12 years. Could this be their year?

Watch the United Stands live match reaction below or by clicking here:

Man United slump to uninspired 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford against mid table Southampton.

After the 1-0 victory at Anfield last week many fans felt confident about today’s game at home to the Saints. It wasn’t a performance to write home about but, it was a victory, it was against Liverpool and it was at Anfield.

For many though, the confidence was shattered when the teams were announced and Marouane Fellaini’s name appeared in the starting XI.

For weeks, Fellaini has contributed very little to the squad and fans have been calling for him to be dropped. But with Schweinsteiger and Carrick injured, van Gaal may have felt he had no other option, preferring Herrera in the number 10 role.

As the first half progressed is was looking more and more like we were going to have to sit and watch another goalless draw. Nothing was happening in the final third. There was little movement and again we played the sideways passing that really gets on everyone’s nerves.

In the entire first half United only registered one shot on target and that was a 40 yard strike from Daley Blind that went straight at the Southampton keeper. There were approximately five or six attempts in total in the first half and they were all shots taken from outside the box in desperation, and none of them troubled the keeper.

At half time the crowd were lifted slightly. A cheer rang round the stadium as Juan Mata came on to replace Fellaini. The change seemed to be a positive one as United upped the tempo and began putting some pressure on Southampton, but without managing shot at goal, the positive change was short lived. An injury to Matteo Darmian meant a short break in play which took the sting out of United’s game. Southampton took advantage of this and brought the game to United.

The Saints created several chances and eventually got their winner late on in the 87th minute through debutant Charlie Austin who headed the ball past de Gea from a free kick that probably shouldn’t have been given.

The loss means that United remain in 5th but the gap between them and Spurs grows to five points.

United now trail Spurs by 5 points (Picture: BBC.co.uk)

The result has left many fans, including myself, fuming and calling for Louis van Gaal to be sacked. United have now only won to of their last ten league games and it cannot go on any longer. Something has to change and it has to change now.

Let us know how you feel after that game and what you think needs to change. Do you think the manager should be sacked now or do you still believe he can get us top 4 by the end of the season? Comment below.

Who is to blame for the poor performances and results?

Louis van Gaal (65%, 15 Votes)

The board (35%, 8 Votes)

The players (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 23

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Man United starting line up V Southampton (Picture: https://twitter.com/ManUtd)

Wayne Rooney strikes again scoring the only goal of the game to sink the Scousers!

It wasn’t all smiles and laughter for United as in the first half Liverpool dominated and made it difficult for them to play; limiting them to just one attempt at goal.

Liverpool, on the other hand, had many attempts but lacked the quality to finish.

Their best chance came in the 30th minute when some intricate one touch passing fell to Henderson. The Liverpool captain hit a shot from an angle but dragged his shot wide.

Liverpool also came close to taking the lead earlier in the game. In the 10th minute Firmino hit a first time shot after collecting a loose ball but his shot went just past the post. David de Gea looked to have it covered.

The second half started much the same with Liverpool coming out on the front foot.

Early in the second half, Emre Can and Kolo Toure both had shots at goal saved by in-form United keeper David de Gea.

Man United appeared to be sleeping; not challenging loose balls and allowing Liverpool to win the first ball on most occasions.

The introduction of Juan Mata in the 66th minute saw the dynamics of the game change and United began to see more of the ball and start playing forward.

And in the 77th minute, Juan Mata played in a left-footed cross from the left onto the head of Fellaini. The Belgian’s header bounced off the crossbar and fell to Wayne Rooney who shaped up and smashed a volley into the roof of the net to put United ahead.

Man United scrape a narrow victory thanks to a late Wayne Rooney penalty against League One side Sheffield United in the FA Cup third round.

Man United played hosts to Sheffield United who currently sit 9th in League one. Many would be forgiven for thinking that this game would be entertaining for the fans based on United’s last two performances where they looked to be finding their attacking threat once again. But it wasn’t to be. Instead, United appeared to have taken two steps back, returning to the dull, conserved, sideways football we had become so familiar with.

During the first half Man United only managed three attempts on goal with two of them coming from set pieces. They dominated the possession but posed no attacking threat and created very little in the way of chances. Even half chances. In fact, the players themselves looked extremely frustrated; almost like they weren’t sure what the game plan was. The fans could see this and they made their voices heard with groans and jeers echoing around the stadium – something that is becoming commonplace at Old Trafford.

The second half saw the introduction of Memphis and Lingard on the hour mark. This was Lingard’s first game since returning from injury.

Since their inclusion into the game, there were more attempts at goal, be it only 6, with one of them being the winning penalty.

The best chances came in the late stages of the game with the first falling to Anthony Martial in the 87th minute. A corner came in and a defensive header fell to the Frenchman on the edge of the six-yard box. He struck a left-footed half volley but Sheffield United defender, Brayford, reacted quickly to block the shot.

United boss Louis van Gaal cuts a frustrated figure as his side struggle against Sheffield United (Picture: mirror.co.uk)

Three minutes later, Memphis picked up the ball on the left wing and cut in onto his right foot. Once in a more central position, finding a yard of space, he hit a right-footed shot which narrowly missed the left hand post.

In the 93rd minute, Memphis again found himself running at the defenders and into the box but was taken down by a rash challenge by Sheffield United’s, Hammond. The defender came sliding in with his studs up and caught Memphis on the shin. A penalty was awarded. Wayne Rooney stepped up and buried the ball into the bottom left corner, sending the keeper the other way.

Louis van Gaal will certainly be breathing a sigh of relief as his job hangs by a thread. And a replay away from home is something else he will be pleased to avoid.

You have to feel sorry for Sheffield United who defended very well throughout the whole game.

What did you think about the game? Are you happy with the teams performance? Do you feel the team deserved the victory? We would love to know your thoughts. Please, feel free to leave a comment below.

You can also watch the Man United V Swansea match reaction on The United Stand’s YouTube channel by clicking here. Or by watching below.

The first half ended 0-0 with Man United failing to play in the same manner they did against Chelsea. Jeers and groans were heard around the stadium as fans became disgruntled.

However, Man United came out in the second half showing much more intent and Anthony Martial opened the scoring in the 47th minute. Ashley Young whipped in a cross from the right, Wayne Rooney attempted and failed to head the ball but Martial was behind him to head the ball down and past Fabianski.

United gave a much improved performance in the second half but were unable to extend their lead. Instead Swansea managed to pull level thanks to a goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 71st minute. Swansea sub, Barrow, made easy work of beating Matteo Darmian down the right and hit a cross into the box. The cross found Sigurdsson who looped a header over David de Gea and into the United goal.

Sigurdsson heads over David de Gea to bring Swansea level (Picture: Mirror.co.uk)

It didn’t take long for Man United to take the lead again. This time Rooney providing the goal. The play started with Anthony Martial who ran at the defenders, taking the ball to the byline. Beating the defenders he pulled the ball back across the goal finding Rooney who scored with a clever back-heel flick completely fooling Fabianski.

Swansea reacted to going a goal down with the introduction of Jefferson Montero and Bafetimbi Gomis. Both players added strength and pace to the Swansea attack.

The Swans almost equalised twice in injury time. In the 92nd minute, Paddy McNair failed to deal with a cross and the ball fell to Ashley Williams who turned the United defender and hit a shot at goal but David de Gea was able to save at full stretch.

In the 95th minute, Swansea were awarded a corner and Fabianski joned the attack. The ball was delivered and it was the Swansea keeper who got his head on it but he couldn’t get it on target much to the relief of the United goal keeper as he could only stand and watch the ball narrowly miss the post.

The win lifts Man United up to 5th in the table, two points behind Spurs who play their game-in-hand tomorrow, away at Everton.

Man United beat Swansea City to move up to 5th (Picture: bbc.co.uk)

What did you think about the game? Are you happy with the teams performance? Do you feel the team deserved the victory? We would love to know your thoughts. Please, feel free to leave a comment below.

You can also watch the Man United V Swansea match reaction on The United Stand’s YouTube channel by clicking here. Or by watching below.

Man United’s winless streak continues after a goalless draw at Old Trafford with current Premier League champions, Chelsea.

The match started brightly with both teams getting forward and creating goal scoring opportunities, but it was Man United who went on to dominate in the first half putting pressure on the visitors.

It was Man United who had the first chance to take the lead in only the 3rd minute when Juan Mata got on the end of a Wayne Rooney pass, but the Spaniard could only rattle the bar with his left footed shot.

Two minutes later, former England captain John Terry almost put the visitors ahead with a powerful header, but David de Gea reacted quickly to save.

In the 16th minute, Man United had another chance to go ahead, but the woodwork came to Chelsea’s rescue again preventing Anthony Martial’s shot after he cut in past Ivanovic.

Another chance came for the reds in the 29th minute when Wayne Rooney unleashed a venomous shot at Chelsea’s goal from long range, but Courtois got across and palmed it to safety.

Man United’s Anthony Martial strikes the post early on (Source: The Guardian)

The second half, although not as entertaining as the first, did provide some goal scoring chances.

Chelsea attacked first in the 48th minute with two chances falling to Pedro and Azpilicueta respectively, but both were denied by a double save from Man United keeper David de Gea. Pedro made easy work of weaving past the United defence giving himself room to shoot only for de Gea to save. The loose ball fell to Azpilicueta who shot first time, but the United keeper was alert to the situation and saved again.

In the 56th minute Man United had a chance to take the lead through Ander Herrera. Anthony Martial crossed the ball across the six yard box but Herrera’s shot was blocked by Courtois and the ball span just wide of the post.

Then it was Chelsea’s turn again. Six minutes after Herrera’s near miss, the visitors looked like they were going to take the lead when on a counter attack Nemanja Matic found himself one-on-one with David de Gea but he took his shot too early sending the ball into the stands.

The game progressed into the latter stages with Man United searching for a winner and Chelsea seeming to be settling for a draw and in the 86th minute United were presented with a great chance to steal a possible winner. The chance fell to Wayne Rooney. The ball was played across the face of goal to the far post where Rooney was positioned, but the Man United and England captain volleyed over from close range.

David de Gea saves a shot from Pedro (Source: Mirror)

The draw means Man United remain 6th in the Premier League; 5 points behind 4th placed Man city, who have a game in hand. More worryingly, United are only 3 points clear of old rivals Liverpool, who currently occupy 10th place.

Man United remain 6th in the Premier League after draw with Chelsea (Source: BBC Football)

What did you think about the game? Are you happy with the teams performance? Do you feel the team deserved a victory? We would love to know your thoughts. Please, feel free to leave a comment below.

You can also watch the Man United V West Ham match reaction on The United Stand’s YouTube channel by clicking here. Or by watching below.